Why D.C. Could Get Heated When Juggalos & Trump Supporters Come To Town

Sept. 16 will see two dueling rallies in Washington, D.C.: the "Mother of All Rallies," a pro-Trump demonstration, and a protest by "Juggalos" — that is, fans of the hit rap group Insane Clown Posse. This raises the question of whether Juggalos like Donald Trump, and if not, whether the two demonstrations might clash with one another when they meet on the National Mall on Saturday.

Of course, Juggalos aren't a political monolith; they're a group of folks bonded by their love of Insane Clown Posse, not their opinions on public policy. Still, some artists do have fan bases that tend to lean one way or the other politically. Are Insane Clown Posse and its Juggalo fans unofficially pro-Trump?

Nope. In an interview with Spin, Insane Clown Posse member Shaggy 2 Dope was asked about his and his fans' opinions on President Trump, and he responded with various opinions ranging from indifference to mild disdain.

"I have no stance on anything politics," Shaggy told Spin. "Anybody I know, anybody I’ve been around, since I was born, no matter who’s the president or governor or mayor, it’s never made a difference in their lives. ... It’s crazy he’s president, but what do I know?"

Insane Clown Posse may generally be apolitical, and yet one of their political stances is very clear: They're vehemently anti-bigotry. Take the lyrics to their 2015 song "Confederate Flag," in which they thoroughly denounce displays of Confederate symbols, calling Confederate flag supporters "redneck judges with racist grudges" and saying, "You get punched in your faces, reppin' the racists."

That's pretty clear-cut. It's also a marked contrast to Trump, who spoke positively of pro-Confederacy demonstrators after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

Years earlier, the Posse disowned a fan who allegedly attacked a gay bar in Massachusetts, with the band's manager writing, "This guy had no clue what being a Juggalo is all about."

"If anyone knows anything at all about ICP, then you know that they have never, ever been down or will be down with any racist or bigotry bullshit," Alex Abbis wrote on the band's website at the time. "He subscribed to an ideology of racism and bigotry, and was quite clearly, in my opinion, out of his mind. Anyone that knows anything at all about Juggalos knows that in no way, shape, or form would we ever approve of this type of bullshit behavior."

When asked about the possibility of Juggalos clashing with Trump supporters, Shaggy said that he hasn't seen any strong anti-Trump sentiment among his fan base. But he added if there are any violent incidents, it'll be because Trump supporters started it.

"No Juggalo’s going to bum rush no Trump supporter," Shaggy told Spin. "We’re not there for that. But if some beef does cook, it’s probably because somebody on their side is popping off at the mouth."

Insane Clown Posse organized the march in response to a 2011 report from the FBI that classified the group's fans as a "loosely organized hybrid gang."

“Although recognized as a gang in only four states,” the FBI’s National Gang Intelligence Center wrote at the time, "many Juggalos subsets exhibit gang-like behavior and engage in criminal activity and violence.” In response, Insane Clown Posse sued the FBI, arguing that the bureau's report had resulted in employment and housing discrimination against its fans. One Insane Clown Posse Fan alleged that he was refused enlistment into the U.S. Army on account of his Juggalo tattoo, while another said that he was stopped and questioned by police on three different occasions because he possessed Juggalo merchandise.

The Juggalo March and the Mother of All Rallies won't be the only demonstrations in Washington, D.C. on Saturday: The Race to Beat Cancer is being held the same day. As a result of this triple whammy, many of the city's streets will be closed throughout the day to make way for the various demonstrators.